Petrol pump politics, and Oscar time in LA

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It's your daily news fix.

One, free, fresh.

Hello and welcome to Squiz Kids Today.

Your fresh take on what's happening in the world around you.

I'm Bryce Corbett.

It's Monday, March 16.

In Squiz Kids Today, petrol-pumped politics.

Matilda's through to semis, Oscar time in LA, and whale-munching microfish.

That's what's making news, kid style.

The Low Down.

Do you find yourself sitting in the back of mum and dad's car, watching them curse as

they drive past a petrol or gas station, mumbling under their breath at the cost of feeling

the tank?

That's because of the conflict in the Middle East.

And you might be sitting there thinking, how can something happening on the other side

of the earth affect the cost of petrol or gasoline where I live?

Well, here's the deal.

The primary ingredient for making petrol is oil, and the part of the world where a lot

of the oil comes from is, you guessed it, the Middle East.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and, yes, Iran.

Now, unless you've been living under an especially large rock these past couple of weeks, you'd

know that Iran is currently at war with the US and Israel.

And not only does Iran produce a lot of oil, but a stretch of sea through which loads

of oil tankers pass every single day, a place called the Strait of Hormuz, is right next

to Iran, and right now it's dangerous for big ships to sail through it.

So with less oil being refined into petrol, that means that the price rises at the petrol

stations that we all drive past every day.

It's simple economics.

And economics, my friends, is a subject that some of you may study when you get to high

school, and it's fascinating.

Now that you know all of that, I dare you to explain it all over the dinner table tonight.

Oh my giddy aunt, Colony impressed and knocked me down with a feather.

You would have heard us talking the last two weeks about our PM for a day competition.

Your chance to win a trip for two to Canberra to meet the Prime Minister, hang out with

the House Speaker and spend a day at Parliament House.

Well, entries closed on Friday and we have been inundated.

So, so many of you sent in videos, telling us what one thing you would do to make Australia

a better place if you were PM for a day.

From Geraldton to Hobart, Townsville to Adelaide, Darwin to Melbourne, from cattle stations,

cotton farms and high risers in the city.

We have spent all weekend watching your amazing entries.

And I have only two things to say.

One, a huge thank you to everybody who took the time to record a video and send it in.

You're all so talented.

And two, this country is in very safe hands.

The range of ideas, the passion, the enthusiasm and the flat out optimism for what an incredible

place we live in has warmed the cockles of my heart.

You guys really are the best.

Now, excuse me as I sit down with Christy and our panel of judges to undertake the

painstaking process of picking a winner.

Watch this space.

Spin the globe.

Each day we give the world global spin and find a new story from wherever it stops.

And today we've landed in Los Angeles, in the United States, where right now the biggest

stars in Hollywood have gathered for the Oscars.

The Oscars are the biggest movie awards ceremony in the movie making calendar, as big a deal

as it gets in the film world, which is why a visual effects company from Adelaide has

all its fingers and toes crossed this morning.

The folks at Rising Sun Pictures were responsible for making Michael B. Jordan appear on screen

at the same time, playing a set of twins in the Vampire Thriller sinners.

The same actor, on screen, next to himself, reacting to himself and all of it, looking

like two different characters.

Now, it's an MA-15 film here in Osso, you're probably going to have to take my word for

it, but it is amazing.

And like economics, visual effects, and the creativity of movie making is something maybe

some of you will do when you finish school.

Good luck today, Rising Sun Pictures, and good luck to all of the talented creative people

vying for an Oscar statue today.

Speaking of trophies, the Matilda's took one giant leap towards winning the Asian Women's

Cup on Friday night when they beat North Korea by two glorious goals to one.

Sam Kerr and Alana Kennedy slotted the winning goals for the home side, sending the Tilly

straight into a semi-final on Tuesday night, where they will face off against China.

China comes into the semi-ranked 17th in the world compared to Australia, which is ranked

15th.

So it's going to be a close match.

China only just scraped into the semi-speeding Chinese Taipei on the weekend in extra time.

The winner of the Matilda's China semi-final will play the winner of the Japan South Korea

semi-final, with World No. 8 Japan tipped to be the team to beat in this tournament, especially

after they trounced the Philippines yesterday 7-0.

Ouch!

That's got to hurt.

Imagine a whale, one of the biggest animals on earth, slowly sinking to the bottom of the

dark ocean after it dies.

What do you think happens next?

A party, that's what.

New studies of the deepest part of the ocean have revealed an amazing picture of how whales

after death provide such a rich source of food that one dead whale can sustain an entire

deep sea ecosystem for up to 10 years.

What?

When a whale sinks to the sea floor, scientists call it a whale fall, and it's kind

of like a giant pizza delivery, arriving in a place that almost never gets food.

First, come the sharks, the crabs, and the hagfish, and these hungry visitors can feast

on a dead whale carcass for up to two years.

Then the tiny tunnelers move in, worms, crustaceans, and mollusks burrow into the left over

blubber, and even the soil underneath the whale.

Then my favorite, the zombie worms move in.

These creepy creatures feast on whale bones by drilling in with their roots, secreting

an acid that dissolves the bone, and then using special bacteria digest the fat and protein

inside.

I have to say, I feel a little bit sick just thinking about that, and I really hope you've

finished your breakfast.

This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you've been listening.

Question number one.

In which Australian state capital city do the Matilda's play their semi-final on Tuesday

night?

Yeah, that's right, it's in Perth, capital of Western Australia.

Question number two.

Name the Oscar-nominated film starring Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan on which an

Adelaide visual effects team worked.

Well done if you said, Sinners, which of course none of you are.

Question number three.

In which US city will the Oscars take place today?

Yeah, that's right, they take place in Los Angeles.

Shout out.

It's Monday, March 16.

Dean Mary of Denmark and her husband, King Frederick, will be in Canberra today as part

of their Aussie tour.

Did you know that Denmark's Queen Mary is actually an Aussie from Tasmania?

How cool is that?

It's also a special day today for these Squizz Kids celebrating a birthday and also for

those Squizz Kids celebrating a birthday tomorrow.

Olli from Castle Hill, Huxen from Yass, Annabelle from Armadale, Alexis from Curry Curry, Laura

from Wonturn, South, James from Lieten, Hodson from Albany Creek, Audrey from Narrenburn,

Eli from Mordsland, Charlotte from Oldgate, Harland from Gunnallaba, Lily from Nougie

and Wesley, who's listening all the way over there in Fort Mill in the United States

of America.

The late birthday shout outs go to Anisha from Kellyville, Rachel from Donkaster East,

and Ethan from Bulleen.

Today's classroom shout outs go to Class 5Y and Ms. LaRée at Lakes Grammar School in

Warnervale.

Class 5, 6, SK, with Mrs. Dixon at the Voka State School.

Class 5W with Ms. Corsman at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School in Curry Curry.

Class 4M with Ms. Clem Kee at Karingall Public School in Wogowaga.

Class 5 Gold, with Mrs. Jensen at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Parish Primary School in Campbelltown

and to the students at Mansfield State School and a happy birthday to their teacher, Mr.

Guy.

Don't forget if you've got a birthday coming up and you want a shout out, or if you're

after a classroom shout out, drop us a line at squizzkidsatthesquizz.com.au or fill out

the form on our website.

We'll be back again tomorrow with our Squizz Kids Q&A with Dr. Carl.

Yes folks, everyone's favourite scientist answering questions that you sent in.

It's a winner of an episode and you won't want to miss it.

In the meantime, get out there and have a most excellent day over and out.